Improvement in ore-separators



2 Sheets-Sheet 1 'DeW. G. ROBERTS. Ore Separator.

No. 202,122. Patented Apiil9,1878.

I l llllLl Afimenfar Maggy 72; f 3.04 MM N- PETERS, PHQTO-LITHOGRAFHER.WASHINGTONv D: O,

2 Sheets-Sheet 2.. DeW.-G. BOBERTS.

Ore Separator.

No. 202,122. Patented April 9,1878.-

N.PETERS, PHOTO-LITHDGRAPHER, WASHINGTON, D C: I

UNITED. STATES PATENT OFFICE.

nn wIrrr c. ROBERTS, or CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

IMPROVEMENT IN ORE-SEPARATORS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 202, I 22, dated April9, 1878; application filed October 3, 1877.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, DE WIN: 0. ROBERTS, of the city of Chicago, Oookcounty, State of Illinois, have invented wnew and'useful Improvements inOre-Separators, of which the following is a'full description, referencebeing had to the accompanying drawing, in which Figure 1 is a plan view;Fig. 2, a vertical cross-section of the parts represented, taken at wasof Fig. '1; Fig. 8, a vertical longitudinal section.

In auriferous regions there are large quantities of earth containingfree gold, which it is customary to separate from the earth by washing,where water can be obtained; but such earth is found in many places.where water cannot be obtained at all, or only at a very great expense.

The object of this invention is to construct a machine by the use ofwhich gold can be separated from the earth without the use of water,which 1 accomplish by means of a suction-blast, in connection withpassages and devices hereinafter fully described.

A suitable frame supports the various parts of the machine, parts ofwhich frame are represented by A. B is a screen. 0 is another screen,located below B. D is an incline or chute. These screens and the inclineare supported in a suitable frame, mostly or wholly independent of theframe A, and may be vibrated in any suitable manner. This can be done bymaking some parts of the supporting-posts small, as represented at E,and providing suitable devices connected with the driving mechanism forvibrating the screens and incline. F is an opening in the top of themachine, into which the earth is to be fed. a is a hopper or receptacle;6, an open passage from a. cc are two air-passages, open at the bottom.dis a screen over the passage c. Gis an air-passage, being, in fact, acontinuation of the two passages c c. c is a valve, which can beadjusted from the outside by means of the handle 6, for the purpose ofcontracting the passage G. f is a passage from G into the mainair-passage H. g is another valve, operated from the outside by means ofthe rod g, for the purpose of regulating the size of the passage f. I Iare receptacles communicating .with the air-passage H.. h h are valveshinged so as to cover the outlets from .the receptacles I I. J is thebottom of the passage H. e K K are two passagesone upon each side of themachineintowhich the airpasses from the passage H.

L is a fan. M is the fan-case. N is the out- In use, the earth is to befed in any suitable manner into a hopper or receptacle placed over theopening F, and falls first upon the screen B. The rapidity of the fallof the earth from the hopper may be regulated by means of the valve 2'.The gravel, stones, and coarser portions will pass down the screen B,and be delivered at the end upon the ground, while the finer portions ofthe earth containing the gold will fall upon the screen 0; and if thereshould be any gravel or other material larger than the perforations inC, it will pass over the ends of this screen, and the other portionconta-inin g the gold will fall upon the incline D, and gradually fallfrom it into the hopper or receptacle a, from which it will pass downthrough the opening 1) onto the screen (1, a portion passing through dinto the passage 0, and the remainder passing over 01 into the passage0. While this is being done the fan L is to be driven at a proper speed,and air will be drawn up through the passages c c, and the earth will becarried along with the air, while the heavier particles of gold willfall through c 0 into any suitable place prepared to receive them.

The course of the air is indicated by the arrows. It passes. from G upthrough f into the main passage H; thence into the passages K, one uponeach side of the machine; thence down these passages into the fan-case;thence out from the fan-case through the opening N.

The earth will be carried along with the air, and some of the heavierportions thereof and any of the particles of gold which may be carriedup into the passage H will fall into the receptacles I I, and as theyaccumulate therein will open the valves h h and pass out by their ownweight.

The valves P P can be adjusted in any desired position, for the purposeof regulating the current through H.

j represents a glass door, through which the operator can look into thepassage G.

It will be observed that the passage G extends directly upward for somedistance, which construction facilitates the separation of the gold fromthe earth.

The earth can be fed continuously and at a uniform speed to the machine,so that a uniform quantity of the material will be constantly submittedto the action of the suctionblast. The fan is to be driven in anysuitable manner.

R R are two bars, one end of which is pivoted to the frame whichsupports the screens, and the other ends pass around the shaft S, whichmay be made eccentric at the point of attachment of the bars R, and bymeans of which the screens can be vibrated, the shaft being driven by abelt or otherwise. The partition between 0 and. 0 only serves thepurpose of supporting one edge of the screen d.

The air-passage H might open directly into the fan-case, instead of intothe side passages K but I am of the opinion that better results can beproduced by the use of the passages K.

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1:. The separator constructed with vertical passages F G and horizontalpassage H, and provided with a fan, L, substantially as and for thepurpose set forth.

2. In an ore-separator, the combination of the passage G, throat f,horizontal passage H, and fan L, with the valves e g, substantially asand for the purpose set forth.

3. The combination of the vertical passage G, throat f, and horizontalpassage H, with one or more valves, P, and fan L, substantially as andfor the purpose set forth.

4. The vertical passage G, horizontal passage H, with the side passagesK, fan-case M, and fan L, substantially as described.

5. The combination of the screen B O D with the passage F and receptacleor chute a, for separating the grosser parts from the material before itreaches the air-currents, substantially as and for the purpose setforth.

6. The combination of an open screen for first separating the grosserparts with the passages G H and fan L, for the further separatin g ofthe finer parts, substantially as specified.

DE WITT O. ROBERTS.

Witnesses E. A. Wns'r, O. W. BoND.

